It's Just Easier This Way
by SomethingMoreCreative
Summary: Percy and Annabeth are best friends, but when Annabeth asks him to stop at the store and pick up-he can't even say the word-he realizes that he might have moved up from being just a friend. In which, Annabeth asks Percy to stop and pick up a box of tampons, and he might be excited because this is normally a chore that a boyfriend does for his girlfriend, right? AU. Complete.


**A/N: This is a shamefully short AU. Just to clarify, Percy and Annabeth are NOT dating in this particular one-shot. I hope you like it!**

**And also, just a fun fact, today is my one year anniversary on FanFiction! I posted How He Feels one year ago today, so if you're feeling sentimental, go back and read that story! (But ignore all of the bad grammar and stuff since it's so old.)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****_Percy Jackson and the Olympians. _**

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"I need a favor."

Percy groaned into his phone. It was way too early for this. Annabeth knew his sleeping pattern better than his mom did, and she knew that he never got up until the very last second.

When he heard his phone ringing (to some stupid ringtone that Annabeth had set) he had managed to grab it and answer without even rolling over. Sure, maybe it hadn't been a proper hello, but at least he grunted to let her know that he was awake.

"What?" He groaned again, keeping his eyes closed against the light filtering in through his window.

"On your way over I need you to stop at the store and get something for me?" She asked. Her voice was especially gentle this morning, so that probably meant that whatever she wanted would be something that he wouldn't want to do.

He sighed. He was heading over there this morning to watch movies and hang out, and he could stop and get whatever she needed on his way. He hummed and rubbed his eyes and said, "Okay. What do you need me to get?"

"A box of tampons," she said.

Percy's eyes shot open.

Annabeth wanted him to stop at the store and get a box of _tampons? _Did she really think that he was capable of walking in to the grocery store, going to _that _aisle, and leaving with—with—_them _in his hand?

He was kind of horrified at the question. Sure, he grew up with a single mom, but she never talked about that kind of stuff. Percy knew the basics, like the stuff that they taught in anatomy and biology, but that was about it.

The other part of him was strangely… _elated_ because _wasn't this a favor that girls asked their boyfriends to do? _

Percy figured that he could do this for her. If she was on her period (he mentally cringed at the thought) then she might, possibly, maybe be a little tenser and a little more stressed than normal. If he could ease that and keep from getting in trouble or making her mad, then he would do just about anything. He could just run inside, grab the box, pay for them, and leave as quickly as possible.

He let out another quick sigh and said, "Send me a picture of the box so I know that I'll get the right ones."

"Okay," she said. Percy could hear her relax through the phone. "Thank you."

"Mmm. Need me to hurry?"

"Sure, I miss you," she said easily.

Percy bit back a grin at the thought that she _might _be flirting with him. He yawned, "Give me forty-five minutes. Want me to stop and pick up breakfast?"

Annabeth groaned, "I _knew _there was a reason I picked you for my best friend."

Even though it was _way _too early, Percy smiled. "I'll be there soon."

Ω

He was almost to the point of pure panic and terror.

Annabeth had texted him the picture of the box of tampons that she needed, but really? They all looked the freaking same! How was a guy supposed to be able to pick out a box of tampons when he literally couldn't tell the difference between any of them? Like, what was so important? Weren't they all the same? What did it matter if they were plastic or cardboard or regular or super or—?

Percy cut that line of thinking. If he was having to put something _there_ then he would probably care what it was made out of. He would probably be brand specific. But, god, why did all of the boxes look the same?

He looked up from staring at a wall of tampons when a girl walked down the aisle. She looked a little frazzled. Her brown hair was pulled up on top of her head, and she was wearing a sweatshirt and a pair of shorts. She snatched a box off of the shelves easily, like it wasn't the most complicated decision in Percy's world right now. She was just turning to leave when she noticed him.

She seemed a little amused because it looked like she was holding back a smile. She said, "It looks like you need help. Girlfriend?"

Percy just nodded (not because he wished it was true or anything, it was just easier). He held out his phone and said, "She wants these?"

The girl looked at his phone before taking one glance at the shelf and plucking a box off of it. She handed it to him and said, "Tell her that you found them by yourself. She'll be impressed."

Percy sighed and smiled at the girl, "You literally just saved my life."

She laughed, "No problem. Besides, I would be pissed if I sent my boyfriend a picture of the box and he still didn't find them."

Percy started edging his way out of the aisle. He thanked her again before he ran out.

He _definitely_ didn't blush as he paid for them.

Ω

Percy let himself in, struggling to carry breakfast, movies, and Annabeth's _things_.

He moved into the kitchen, setting everything down on the counter. When he turned around, he saw Annabeth run into the room.

She was wrapped in a towel, and her curls were falling down around her bare shoulders. She set her hand on his hip as she reached around him to grab the box.

"Oh my god, thank you," she said, walking back toward her bathroom and leaving him there.

Percy laughed, "I don't get a hug?"

"Um, just a second," she called. He heard the door shut.

He shook his head and turned toward the counter. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and was scrolling through his Instagram when he felt a pair of arms slide around his waist.

"Mmm. Hi," Annabeth said softly. She had her face pressed between his shoulder blades, and she was drawing circles on his chest with her fingers.

It was days like these that really confused Percy. Sure, they had been best friends for a while now, but it was one of those relationships where they were only close with each other. They both had other friends, but Percy wasn't as close with them as he was with Annabeth. Some days they were clearly just friends, and then other days they were more.

Today was a more day.

Which, Percy didn't mind. He loved Annabeth, and he knew that she loved him. He didn't care if she didn't know what they were right now. He didn't mind that they just lacked a definition for their relationship. As long as she cared about him and she was at his side, that was really all that mattered.

Percy turned around and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. She was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt (which both looked like they were his). She was huddled against him, gripping one of his hips and slinging her other arm around his neck. She was breathing deeply, and her chest was rising and falling against his.

"Hey," Percy said. "You okay?"

"Of course I'm okay," she said. Her voice was muffled from where she had her face pressed into his shoulder. "I'm really impressed that you got them. I figured you would call me and chicken out."

He huffed indignantly and puffed out his chest, "I am a _man."_

She laughed, "And aren't all men afraid of the word _tampon?"_

Percy just laughed and tightened his grip on her. He figured that it was better than saying anything about it.

She stood in his arms for a few more minutes. One of her hands twisted into his hair, and she was no doubt messing up his look. He swore that sometimes she did it on purpose.

Annabeth pulled away and kissed him on the cheek before turning toward the counter and pulling out their breakfast. She started talking about the movies that they were going to watch, and even though Percy didn't care _at all _that those people were acting in it or that the director had been homeless for ten years before the production of this movie, he paid extremely close attention to the story and watched Annabeth's lips move with every word she spoke.

Ω

It was easy now that he had done it a few times. Picking up a box of tampons for Annabeth wasn't so bad now that he had done it before. He told his friends and mom about it, and they had been impressed that he had already achieved that level with Annabeth.

So Percy didn't find it as hard to walk into the grocery store, down that aisle, and snatch the box off of the shelf. He even knew what all of the other stuff meant now (he may or may not have googled all of the terminology after that first time).

He stopped when he saw another guy standing in the aisle, staring at the wall in complete despair. It was kind of funny, and Percy wondered if that girl that had helped him that day had thought the same thing that Percy was thinking now.

The blonde guy looked over to Percy and blushed.

"Girlfriend?" Percy asked.

The guy nodded, and he looked relieved. "Yeah. You too?"

"Yeah," Percy said (because it was easier, and technically Annabeth was his _girl_ _friend, _right? Percy was kidding himself). "Did she tell you what kind?"

The guy read a few sentences from his phone, and Percy stared at the shelf while he heard the description. He smiled when he found them and picked them up, tossing them to the other guy.

"Thanks, man," the guy said gratefully. "You just saved me from the silent treatment."

Percy laughed and grabbed the box that Annabeth wanted as he said, "The first time that I had to get them this random girl helped me, and when I told my girlfriend about it, she laughed at me for almost two weeks."

The other guy laughed as he walked away, yelling out another thank you.

Percy shook his head and made a round around the store, grabbing Annabeth's favorite brand of chips and a case of her favorite soda. His friends joked that he was whipped, but when he got to Annabeth's in a little while, and she greeted him with a hug, a smile, and a kiss on the cheek, it would all be worth it.

So yeah, maybe he was a little whipped. The bad part was, he didn't care one bit.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it, and leave a review!**

**-SomethingMoreCreative**


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